Recent nontraditional graduate featured on WABI
WABI (Channel 5) spoke with Michael Munson of Hudson for a report about his decision to finish college almost three decades after attending the University of Maine for classes the first time. In 1981, Munson’s university studies were interrupted due to family obligations, so he entered the workforce. He became employed as a mechanical trades specialist with Facilities Management at UMaine in 1996 and resumed his education in 2007. While maintaining full-time employment, he worked toward completing his degree and became a December 2014 graduate of UMaine’s Bachelor of University Studies program with a minor in Maine studies. He was named the 2015 Outstanding Graduating Student in UMaine’s Division of Lifelong Learning and has been honored regionally with the University Professional & Continuing Education Association’s (UPCEA) New England Continuing Education Student Award. “For me it sets the example that you can come from some fairly humble beginnings and if you apply yourself to your discipline and you have the support of your family, your friends, and your employers, you can really prosper in this state,” Munson said. He is currently preparing to attend graduate school and hopes to teach one day, the report states.